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A to Z Challenge: Fictional Favorites, Day 11

K is for — Kermit the Frog from Jim Henson’s Muppets.

“Heigh ho, Kermit the Frog here…”

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I love characters that make me laugh. I grew up watching the Muppet Show hosted by that much-harried green amphibian, Kermit. The Muppet Show was a variety show full of zany song and dance numbers, over-the-top gags and slapstick comedy, and general wackiness that never failed to keep me in stitches. I remember very well looking forward to the weekly laugh-fest. An amazing array of A-List actors and entertainers guest-starred on the show, and it was so funny watching them get “Muppetified.” Through it all, Kermit did his best to keep things under control and not lose his temper.

The Muppet Show was such a hit with my family that we bought hand puppet versions of many of the characters, along with Sesame Street and Looney Tunes characters, and put on our own way-out “Muppet Shows” for friends and family.

Loving the Muppets as we do, we, of course, had to go see the new movie, Muppets Most Wanted. It was an okay movie with some funny moments. The kids loved it, and it spawned another go-round of watching our old Muppet Show videos. One of my favorites is the ridiculously silly Star Wars episode with Mark Hamill, C3P0, R2D2, Chewbacca, and “Derth Nader.” Another is the episode with Harry Belafonte. In the final segment, he talks about, then sings a wonderful song with African roots that is so uplifting and inspiring that I sing it in my head for days afterward. According to Brian Henson, the late Jim Henson’s son who introduces each episode, the intricate African puppets that sing with Harry Belafonte were specially made for that performance. Enjoy!

Muppets Cast Photo Credit: Muppets Wikia

Muppets Cast
Photo Credit: Muppets Wikia

26 thoughts on “A to Z Challenge: Fictional Favorites, Day 11”

  1. Stopping by on the 12th day of the #atozchallenge. Having a good time today blog hopping, saying hi and moving on.This is such a well presented blog. I appreciate the clarity and focus after seeing many cluttered, hard to read sites. Love your topics for the #Challenge. If you have time or interest, I am writing about gardening and related topics this month. Come and visit.

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  5. I have never seen that Harry Belafonte clip before, that is a great song! Love, love the Muppet Show, Looney Tunes, all those shows that kids and grown-ups can laugh at together 🙂

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  7. I have really fond memories of the Muppet Show too. I loved Kermit especially, but the whole show had a humor to it that was accesable to me even as a young child. Great entry!

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  9. I have many fond memories of the Muppets. I remember how incredibly sad I was when I heard that Jim Henson had died. It felt really personal. He left us with such a legacy of wonderful characters! (Not sure if you have seen the Muppet version of A Christmas Carol, but it’s a fantastic movie.)

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    • It was very sad that he died so young. The Muppets aren’t quite the same without him. Yes, I have seen the Muppet Christmas Carol. It has become a Christmas tradition right up there with Charlie Brown and Frosty the Snowman.

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  10. I loved watching the Muppets and Sesame Street with my two children, when they were on – in the UK, not so often as the USA! Years later, I did an MA, and as a thesis I did how humour is used in books and education for children. There was hardly any research in this area to read – but most of what had been done was paid for by the education experts for Sesame Street. They took humour seriously.

    Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com

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  13. Pingback: A to Z 2015 Theme Reveal: More Fictional Favorites! | Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams

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